About So Cal Sail Training

Train on Your Own Boat • Personalized Instruction • Train for Catalina

We are the highest ranked NauticEd affiliate school in the US, with over 200 more 5-star reviews than any other NauticEd school. Train on your own boat with us, or one you have chartered in LA, Long Beach, or Orange County harbors. Check out our La Paz, BCS, MX location – an exceptional sail training destination.

Our Mission

Our mission is to help you get where you want to be in the world of sailing. The focus of our training is achieving competency in sailing and cruising under sail.

Our Method

Knowledge + Practical Training + Experience = Competency

Online training using the NauticEd curriculum provides the theoretical knowledge you need to understand how the sailboat works.
Practical on-the-water training with an expert sailor who is an expert instructor.
Personal instruction tailored to your learning style.
We help you develop your plan to put your training to use and gain experience.
Join us for a discount on sailing adventures in various parts of the world, including the Sea of Cortez.

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Why That is Different from ASA

Your Sailing Competence is the focus of our work, pure and simple.
ASA schools offer a certificate of attendance, whether you become competent or not.
You will become competent and confident sailing your boat and chartering in other countries.
ASA schools are selling monthly memberships.
You get more more hours of on-the-water instruction than at ASA schools. We are not signing you up for a monthly membership fee.
Your NauticEd certification from Santana Sailing is earned through skill training, and coaching, enabling you to demonstrate competence. We do not offer certificates of attendance.
Your NauticEd certification from Santana Sailing is recognized worldwide.
Students say we are an ASA finishing school. Everyone in the business knows, even the ASA instructors know, a new sailor can’t achieve bareboat level competence in 7 days.
You will work hard and have a lot of fun!

Read the Reviews: 300+ Clients Agree, We Are One of The Very Best (rated 4.95/5)

Jump to SoCal Courses & How it Works>>

Our Team

Captain Marc Hughston

Santana Sailing Founder and Chief Instructor

– US Coast Guard 100 Ton Master
– American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
– Skipper Large Sailboat Instructor/Assessor
– Bareboat Charter Master Chief Instructor/Assessor
– Catamaran Instructor/Assessor
– SLC Instructor/Assessor
– Instructor Trainer

Read Captain Marc’s student reviews »

I am fortunate to have figured out that my purpose in life is to share the things I know and love with those who appreciate them. In the world of sailing, that means helping you to improve your competence and confidence whether you are brand new to sailing, a seasoned sailing instructor, or somewhere in between.

I had my first sailing lesson on the island of Moorea at age 14, and I now have over 2,400 days on the water. this is my 24th year as a sailing and cruising instructor, and I have benefitted from amazing mentors. While I have taught for ASA and US Sailing schools, I am most proud to be a NauticEd instructor trainer.

Giving you a shortcut to the most effective skills and seamanship practices while we visit the most sought-after sailing destinations is what I love to do. Come and learn the ropes, and become a better sailor. We are going to have a great time!

Captain Marco Dos Santos

Sailing Instructor / Assessor

– US Coast Guard 25 Ton Master
– American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
– Skipper (Large Keelboat) Instructor/Assessor
– Bareboat Charter Master Instructor/Assessor
– SLC Instructor/Assessor

Marco has always loved being on boats and the water, and took up sailing almost ten years ago in Long Beach. He has also enjoyed sailing vacations on larger boats in San Francisco Bay and the Netherlands. He has been a captain with a sailing adventure charter company and worked as a technician for a local company doing sailboat rigging.

He has a pension for all things mechanical and can fix nearly anything. He worked at Toyota as a product engineer; participated in several off-road races in Baja as navigator and mechanic; and has imported and restored rare off-road vehicles from Australia.

In his free time, he enjoys traveling and the outdoors. He has taught snowboarding in Breckenridge, Colorado, hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and ridden his bicycle from Vancouver, Canada, to Tijuana, Mexico, and is constantly looking for his next adventure.

Captain Roger Hudson

Sailing Instructor / Assessor

– US Coast Guard 100 Ton Master
– American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
– Skipper Small Keelboat and Skipper (Large Keelboat) Instructor/Assessor
– Bareboat Charter Master instructor
– SLC Instructor/Assessor

Read Captain Roger’s student reviews »

I started out sailing at 16 years old by buying a home built 12′ sloop. Over the years have owned 6 boats and sailed OPB (other peoples boats) for many years. Some highlights are sailing from Hawaii to Dana Point on a 54′ Morgan center cockpit (three weeks at sea), racing from Newport to Ensenada (4 times), and crewing on two historic schooners, Kelpie and Curlew. Both built in the 1920’s and 82′ long.

I love to share sailing with people and have done teaching at Aventura Sailing Assoc. I am known for my patience and calm demeanor onboard. Sailing is in my blood and teaching is my pleasure.

Captain Maureen Vild

Sailing Instructor / Assessor

– US Coast Guard 50 Ton Master
– American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
– Skipper Small Keelboat and Skipper (Large Keelboat) Instructor/Assessor
– Bareboat Charter Master instructor
– SLC Instructor/Assessor
– ASA 201, 203 Instructor

Read Captain Maureen’s student reviews »

The most common feedback I received from my students is “You are so calm and explain things in a simple manner to where it is easily understood. I believe though, that the experience of “doing” in many cases outweighs the explanation.

My focus is to empower first, educate second. Bring each student to a place of complete competence. More importantly, it’s all about the experience, and to have fun along with the feeling of accomplishing something beyond expectations. Lastly, to anticipate with excitement about the next time on the water.

Training & Certification

Training with Santana Sailing is unique in that we focus on helping you achieve your personal sailing goals. Training is limited to at most 4 students, meaning that each student receives instruction needed to become competent – tailored to each student’s goals and past experience.

NauticEd - 21st Century Sailing Education We partner with NauticEd because of NauticEd’s commitment to U.S. and International standards as well as a shared training philosophy that’s focused on student goals and competency – gained from knowledge, skills, and experience. With best-of-class multimedia online courses, professional sailing relationships around the world, and standards that exceed USGC requirements: we partnered with NauticEd to offer our students the best resources and global community available in modern sailing.

Training You Can Trust

Our Commitment to Your Sailing Competence: We really want you to have the skills - we know that you do too. So when you continue training with us through Skipper Large Keelboat level, you will be ready to charter a boat on your own or we’ll invite you back for more training, free of charge. That’s our commitment.

See all the details at Commitment To Sailing Competence. Limitations apply.

American National Standard - Sail

Our training methodology meets the U.S. Coast Guard's prescribed On-Water Recreational Boating Skills Standard – SAIL, the newly released 2017 American National Standard for on-water instruction in entry-level recreational sailboat operation.

Professional Sailing Instruction

Santana Sailing's instructors are extraordinarily well-qualified: experienced, mature, trained to American National and International Standards, and assessed to the highest standards and expectations in recreational sailing.

Trust through verification: please feel welcome to read Santana Sailing's student reviews ›

NauticEd - 21st Century Sailing Education

NauticEd Flagship School

Santana Sailing offers fully-accredited NauticEd Training and Certification. NauticEd is the international leader in sailing education and certification, which affords our students the best educational resources and certification in the United States as well as abroad when sailing internationally.

4 Easy Steps to Start Sail Training

Start by registering for a course date - or discuss your sailing goals with Santana Sailing

Contact Santana Sailing to register for a course, or discuss your sailing goals, past training and experience - so that we can tailor the training to you!

Begin the NauticEd online knowledge-theory courses immediately!

Online knowledge-theory courses have been proven in education and business to be more effective than traditional means, and NauticEd's online courses are best-in-class in sailing. A big advantage is that you can begin immediately, giving you more time to prepare and most importantly more time to train and sail on the water with Santana Sailing!

On-the-Water Sailing & Training

Santana Sailing's on-the-water training is focused on the application of knowledge-theory and skills building. The training is unique in that Santana Sailing's instruction is focused on developing competency and confidence, and approach that gives each student not only personalized attention but hands-on sailing experience in a variety of roles and responsibilities.

Assessment & Certification

Certification is optional and includes a thorough assessment of the students skills, safety and overall competence for each level - using a Rubrics system that keeps the assessment transparent and objective. Typically Santana Sailing assesses during the training and while instructing, but students can request to be assessed separately for any certification.